AVS Forum banner

Star Trek - The Original Series: Season Two (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review

7K views 18 replies 14 participants last post by  Ralph Potts 
#1 ·


The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )

Film:


Extras:


Audio/Video total rating:

( Max score: 100 )

83






Studio and Year: Paramount - 1967-68
MPAA Rating: NR
Feature running time: 21 hours 50 minutes
Genre: TV/Drama/Sci-fi

Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: VC-1
Video Aspect: 1.33:1
Resolution: 1080p/24


Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio, English/Spanish/French Mono
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Brazilian, Portuguese, French
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig
Directed by: Various
Music by: Alexander Courage
Written by: Various
Region Code: A

Blu-ray Disc release Date: September 22, 2009







"To boldly go in Blu"



Film Synopsis:


Space. The Final Frontier. The U.S.S. Enterprise embarks on a five year mission to explore the galaxy. The Enterprise is under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. The First Officer is Mr. Spock, from the planet Vulcan. The Chief Medical Officer is Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy. With a determined crew, the Enterprise encounters Klingons, Romulans, time paradoxes, tribbles and genetic supermen lead by Khan Noonian Singh. Their mission is to explore strange new worlds, to seek new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.





My Take:


LOVE Star Trek the original series. I watched it with my parents as a child and grew up watching the reruns. I have seen all of the films that starred the original crew and while I like the Next Generation as well, the original is by far my favorite. I have seen every one of Season two's episodes and couldn't wait to receive this set for review. Season two includes several of my favorite episodes as well as the one that many consider to be the series best, The trouble with Tribbles. Here are a few of my favorites: Amok time, Mirror Mirror, A piece of the action, Who mourns for Adonais?, and The Doomsday machine. Creator Gene Roddenbury's vision was not only brought to life but has grown beyond his wildest expectations. Even though the show only ran for three seasons it has garnered a fan following that is pretty much second to none. It has gone on to spawn an animated TV show (which featured the voices of the original cast - episode # 1 is included on disc 4!), 11 feature length movies, and 6 different television series. The show's balance of great writing, action, drama and notable social commentary makes for excellent fun and discussion. Watching it today its appeal is still fresh as I find the story lines to be well conceived and enacted. All twenty six episodes from the 1967-68 season are spread out over 7 dual layered BD-50 Blu-ray Discs. Several years back the series was technically made over/redesigned with a remastering of the video and audio as well as updating many of the special effects. Whether or not you agree with this is up to you but I found the results to be impressive. Paramount has included both the enhanced/re-mastered and original versions which can be toggled on the fly via seamless branching. The disc menus are intuitive, cool, and logically assembled. The superlative bonus supplements are spread over the seven discs. The Trouble with Tribbles spawned its own bonus content with special features that include complete episodes of Star Trek Deep Space Nine and the short lived Star Trek animated series that pay tribute to this classic original series episode. I am thrilled at the extent Paramount has gone to in order to make this collection not only special but worthy of this ground breaking TV series.




Parental Guide:


The set is unrated. The show contains thematic material and mild violence and sci-fi action.





AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**


(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)


Audio: 80


  • Dynamics:

  • Low frequency extension:

  • Surround Sound presentation:

  • Clarity/Detail:

  • Dialogue Reproduction:





Video: 86


(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

  • Resolution/Clarity:

  • Black level/Shadow detail:

  • Color reproduction:

  • Fleshtones:

  • Compression:

Star Trek - The Original Series: Season Two comes to Blu-ray featuring VC-1 encoded video that has an average bitrate of 16 mbps and lossless DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4.1 mbps.

A review of my notes for the technical aspects of season two on Blu-ray were nearly identical to those from season one. Here are my comments from that review:

The show's original aspect ratio and film based video is intact and looks spectacular in high definition. The newly restored elements boast vivid, resplendent colors, punchy blacks, and sparkling clarity. Fine rendering is especially appreciable during close ups however detail in objects, costumes and peripherals is clearly distinguishable. Sharpness wavers on occasion however it appears to be innate to the original photography and not the encoding. Grain is present in fine, even layers that rarely draws attention to itself. I have NEVER seen this TV series looking this good. The audio options include the original mono track and a lossless surround mix. The 7.1 channel DTS-HD MA soundtrack would seem to be a bit much for a 40 plus year old TV series (perhaps it is) but I was impressed with the results. Dialogue is well articulated with discerning characteristics and fair room penetration. The front soundstage is narrow but sounds are clearly defined and free of strain or harshness. Surround activity is limited to low level ambience that extends the front sound stage and fills in panning effects. The show's classic theme and opening montage sound great and make the best use of the entire soundfield. I thought this surround mix was appropriately done as it avoided sounding artificially enhanced or gimmicky. Fidelity appeared to be intact as the original elements in the recording sounded excellent.



Bonus Features:

  • Previews and trailers for each episode

  • Starfleet Access - Trivia based text and pop-up interviews during select episodes (as indicated below)

  • Disc 1:

    1. (HD)Billy Blackburns Treasure Chest: Rare home movies and special memories Part 2 -
    2. Starfleet Access episode: Amok time
    3. BD-Live and Mobile Blu enabled - Content to Go exclusive: Writing Spock
  • Disc 2:

  • BD-Live and Mobile Blu enabled - Content to Go exclusive: Creating Chekov

  • Disc 3:

  • BD-Live and Mobile Blu enabled - Content to Go exclusive: Listening to the actors

  • Disc 4:

    1. Starfleet Access episode: The trouble with Tribbles
    2. (HD) More trouble more Tribbles - Episode #1 Star Trek animated series (w/optional commentary by David Gerrold
    3. (HD) Trials and Tribble-ations - Episode #503 Star Trek Deep Space Nine
    4. Trials and Tribble-ations: Writing two legends - featurette - 17 minutes
    5. Trials and Tribble-ations an historic endeavor - featurette - 16 minutes
    6. (HD) Star Trek TOS BD Preview
    7. BD-Live and Mobile Blu enabled - Content to Go exclusive: Spock's mother

  • Disc 5:

  • BD-Live and Mobile Blu enabled

  • To Boldly Goseason two

  • Disc 6:

  • BD-Live and Mobile Blu enabled

  • To Boldly Goseason two

  • Disc 7:

    1. Star Trek's favorite moments - 17 minutes
    2. Writer's notebook: D.C. Fontana - 7 minutes
    3. Life beyond Trek: Leonard Nimoy - 12 minutes
    4. Kirk, Spock, & Bones: Star Trek's greatest trio - 7 minutes
    5. Star Trek's Divine Diva: Nichelle Nichols - 13 minutes
    6. BD-Live and Mobile Blu enabled




Final Thoughts:


Star Trek the original series was a groundbreaking, thought provoking series that seemed ahead of its time. It transported viewers to new worlds and adventures along with the crew of the Starship Enterprise. Season Two contains some of the show's best/memorable episodes, among them is fan favorite The trouble with Tribbles (although on a personal note my favorite is Mirror Mirror). While the show may seem dated by today's standards it retains much of its original appeal which includes great characters (both regular and guest starring roles), thought provoking/socially pertinent themes, excellent writing, an ethnically diverse cast, cheesy but lovable special effects, and one of the most cohesive and memorable core casts ever assembled. Its legacy can be seen and heard in society today as well as in many of today's TV shows and films. Pretty impressive for a 40 year old TV series that only lasted three seasons. Paramount is to be commended on their efforts to bring this beloved and classic sci-fi TV show to high definition Blu-ray Disc. This collection represents another superb offering that includes excellent high definition video and great lossless sound quality. The multitude of bonus material, viewing options and Trek themed fun stuff rounds out a wonderful package that I just can't recommend enough. Enjoy!















Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews





Reference Review System:



JVC DLA-RS20 1080p High Definition Front Projector (Calibrated by Jeff Meier)

Carada Precision Brilliant White 96" Screen

Anthem AVM50v THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor

Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier

Oppo BDP-83 Universal disc/Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

Oppo 970HD universal disc DVD Player (480i HDMI)

Philips TSU9400 Pro Series Touch Panel Remote Control

Canton "Ergo" Series speakers

Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers

SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)

APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector

Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator

Wireworld, VizionWare, Audioquest, Best Deal Cables - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling

Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
 
See less See more
14
#2 ·
Thanks for the great review Ralph. After getting season one on HD DVD on an impulse buy, I'm definately hooked and looking forward to getting seasons 2 and 3 on Blu. I'm amazed at how good this old show looks in HD.
 
#3 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff1967 /forum/post/17217836


Thanks for the great review Ralph. After getting season one on HD DVD on an impulse buy, I'm definately hooked and looking forward to getting seasons 2 and 3 on Blu. I'm amazed at how good this old show looks in HD.

Ditto.


I am surprised at the inclusion of DTS-HD MA. I was unimpressed with the audio on S1 (HD), so I am not surprised at the relatively low audio score on this season (what do you want with a 40 year old series?).


I too look forward to this season...the video, if anything like S1, makes this a must buy.


Thanks Ralph.
 
#4 ·
I have always thought that the "special edition" cuts of these - with much better looking FX shots - fit fine & were done quite nicely. Never too obvious, a la the Star Wars redux.
 
#5 ·
Threadjack - City on the Edge of Forever best ST episode.


Threadjack over.


If this looks as good as season one, I will be thrilled. The audio level on the remix track on the first season was pretty low, I'll be interested to see how this one is.


Give your kids a shot with these, I didn't think my kids would get into it like I was, but they are hooked - they've been asking for Season 2 for months now...
 
#12 ·
Amazon should be shipping out my copy tonight...along with the TNG Movie Collection. I have to think that now that "The Trouble with Tribbles" is given Starfleet Access, as well as having a DS9 episode, I'm all for this. I never really thought that DS9 eps could be remastered as easily as TOS could, given that DS9 was shot the same way TNG was, iirc, along with Voyager. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to watching all these. Worth the upgrade from the DVD seasons of TOS. Season One was worth upgrading, and I may find this equally so. Can't wait for Season Three to come to the preorder block on Amazon, tho, who knows when they'll start taking those preorders now.
 
#14 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Vaughn /forum/post/17222394


DJ,


Season 2 is very good and entertaining. Out of the 26 episodes, only two are stinkers IMO. Season 3 goes down hill pretty fast though.

Thanks for the tip Dave. I am even more interested now. Maybe in January I will start watching this. Its going to be hard to watch them now with all the new big releases coming out soon.
 
#16 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ Matt /forum/post/17228554


Thanks for the tip Dave. I am even more interested now. Maybe in January I will start watching this. Its going to be hard to watch them now with all the new big releases coming out soon.

No problem.
 
#17 ·
bump
 
#18 ·
Well, it took me four years to finally break down and buy Season 2 - I've had Season 1 for a while now - since the ability to stream the redone original series episodes for free in 720p and Dolby Digital 5.1 via Amazon Prime made it an iffy value proposition, but I'm glad I finally did when the price hit $34.


Disk four, in particular, is a gas, with all three Tribbles episodes (TOS, TAS*, and DS9).


Watching DS9's "Trials and Tribbilations" - which I hadn't seen since it first aired - caused me to suspect that doing that episode - and finding, the the course of it, that the old 35mm originals were in decent shape - might have been the impetus for re-doing the whole series for Blu-ray.

This article on Wikipedia about the making of DS9's "Trials and Tribbilations" confirmed my suspicion:


"The original footage was remastered, and was seen as such an improvement that it inspired the subsequent clean-up and re-release of all of "Original Series" episodes."


* TAS = The Animated Series, made shortly after the original series had been cancelled, using the original writers and having the original actors - Shatner, Nimoy, et al - voice the characters. I have that on DVD - everything else has been migrated into the Blu.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ralph Potts
#19 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Philnick  /t/1181441/star-trek-the-original-s...y-official-avsforum-review/0_20#post_23712456


Well, it took me four years to finally break down and buy Season 2 - I've had Season 1 for a while now - since the ability to stream the redone original series episodes for free in 720p and Dolby Digital 5.1 via Amazon Prime made it an iffy value proposition, but I'm glad I finally did when the price hit $34.


Disk four, in particular, is a gas, with all three Tribbles episodes (TOS, TAS*, and DS9).


Watching DS9's "Trials and Tribbilations" - which I hadn't seen since it first aired - caused me to suspect that doing that episode - and finding, the the course of it, that the old 35mm originals were in decent shape - might have been the impetus for re-doing the whole series for Blu-ray.

This article on Wikipedia about the making of DS9's "Trials and Tribbilations" confirmed my suspicion:


"The original footage was remastered, and was seen as such an improvement that it inspired the subsequent clean-up and re-release of all of "Original Series" episodes."


* TAS = The Animated Series, made shortly after the original series had been cancelled, using the original writers and having the original actors - Shatner, Nimoy, et al - voice the characters. I have that on DVD - everything else has been migrated into the Blu.

Greetings,


Great stuff Phil...




Regards,
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top